Choosing Joy in the Midst of Tragedy

Book Review: Women Living Well by Courtney Joseph

I have been reading Courtney’s blog for years now so I was thrilled to find out that she was writing a book, and even MORE excited to be able to review it!

Women Living Well: Finding Your Joy in God, Your Man, Your Kids, and Your Home is a book for every Christian wife, no matter which stage of life you may be in. Courtney shares her lessons learned through her sixteen years of marriage (thus far) as well as solid biblical truth to encourage women to enjoy being a wife, a mom, and in some cases a homemaker. The book is wonderful and covers so many aspects of what it takes to be “living well” as a woman today, especially in light of what the Bible teaches about marriage and serving one another.

Of all the chapters, the one titled “Time-Warp Wife” stood out the most to me. In 2009, Courtney appeared on the Rachael Ray Show to talk about being a joyful homemaker – something Rachael possibly doesn’t understand, and possibly doesn’t even respect. Rachael referred to her as a “time-warp wife” because she enjoys serving and taking care of her husband and kids. Since this is a role that I long to play, I found this enlightening. Traditional marriage roles are not torture – they’ve worked for hundreds of years! 🙂

In today’s society, the women who choose to stay home and raise their children are often looked down upon and criticized. It’s a greatly misunderstood role, and Courtney spends time talking about this in one of her sections. Many women today would never consider staying at home, even though that’s possibly the most important job they could have on this earth.

I loved this point that she made:

“Here’s an important point: you were not created to be a helper to all men. Women are not beneath men. Some women work in the workplace for men. They are paid to assist those for whom they work. Our culture has no trouble with this concept. But within the home, there appears to be a struggle. Women feel they are placing themselves beneath a man when they choose to help their husbands. I wonder: why is it noble to help men in the workplace, help orphans, help widows, help your pastor, help the neighbors, or help your parents, but degrading to help your husband – your groom, your lover, and your best friend?” (pg. 58)

I love that she lives out what she teaches and that she truly finds JOY in being a homemaker!

So many of the chapters were incredibly helpful for me – especially the chapter about having a quiet-time and how to make sure that happens when you have children. I also can’t wait to do her challenges regarding marriage. I definitely recommend this book to anyone longing to improve or strengthen their marriage, or their parenting skills, or their walk with God in general. Courtney’s writing style is refreshing and it flows well.

I received a copy of this book from Booksneeze.com in exchange for my honest review.